"The greatest results in life are usually attained by simple means and the exercise of ordinary qualities.
These may for the most part be summed up in these two — common sense and perseverance." —Owen Feltham

Monday, May 18, 2009

Every Monday I send out a quote of the week. Here's what I sent today:Lately, there has been much talk about the pursuit of happiness. Maybe we've been looking at the concept of happiness wrong. Is happiness something one can pursue? Perhaps, it's simply a state of being. It is a choice one makes. I choose to be happy. Yes, there are still many things I want, many things I want to do, and I am driven to strive for and do those things. Once attained, these things will allow for a better quality of life, but I can't say that they will guarantee happiness. Plus, I know I'll just want more. It's human nature.

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” — Frederick Keonig

The French writer and philosopher Jean Baudrillard once wrote of the freeways of Los Angeles as being “ideally suited to the only truly profound pleasure, that of keeping on the move.” Indeed, nowhere is the pleasure of keeping on the move more profound than in a city whose freeways rarely offer it.

Rush hour in Los Angeles is synonymous with gridlock, but the sheer enormity of the situation can be tough to grasp. Fortunately, there is the architecture photographer Benny Chan, whose Traffic! series depicts the scale of overcrowded lanes of rush hour traffic from high overhead. Shot over a few years during various helicopter trips, the photographs now stand eight feet high and six feet wide, and convey, quite effectively, the enormity of the problem—as well as the need to get things moving.

This Saturday, former Domino staffers and their fabulous designer friends are having a giant tag sale of furniture, fashion and decorative objects. Everything is under $500 (and most things are under $10). It will be held at the 19th-century brownstone of Tom Delavan, Domino's former editor at large. Amazing!Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 13 West Ninth Street, garden apartment; cash only; haggling welcome. (Via NYT)

In 2006, Johnson and Johnson turned to Harry Allen to re-design the First Aid Kit. Although it is one of Johnson and Johnson’s most iconic products, after years of cost engineering the First Aid Kit had been reduced to a disposable clear plastic case – gone were the memorable designs of yesteryear. The design was simple, to give the First Aid Kit a dynamic new form.

Harry worked closely with Chris Hacker, Vice President of Global Design & Design Strategy, and the design team at J&J to rethink the kit. The resulting design puts the user first. It stands on end of ease of storage; the built in handle provides grab and go efficiency while maintaining the smallest possible profile; the color scheme is an eye-catching red and white, and the cross is bought back front and center. It is soft yet commanding, a friendly “figure eight” that is easily recognized as the first step in fighting minor health hazards. The case is be available in most retail outlets that sell J&J products including Walmart and Target stores nationwide.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Love this.Here's an excerpt from the book:As a stylist, I am always on the lookout for objects that are distinctive and alluring— which is why I adore all things handmade. And Paris just happens to be a rather wonderful place to find the things I adore… Paris: Made by Hand is an insider’s look at the city’s artisans, createurs, and crafts boutiques. You’ll discover some ateliers that have been around for hundreds of years (many of which are tucked into the oldest of passages or hidden courtyards), and others that have just surfaced. Between the pages of this guide you can expect to find papermakers, shoemakers, jewelry designers, milliners, umbrella makers, dressmakers, ceramicists, and more: all of them from my private little black book, and all of them right in the heart of the city. Among them you’ll discover an exquisite, century-old haberdashery that I go to when I need ribbon and silk from a bygone era, and a boutique, in the hub of Le Marais, that is the place for finding new handcrafted designer housewares.